Ford Mustang Mach-E Now Has More Range & Lower Prices

Quick, what two things do electric car customers wish for most? If you said more range and lower prices, you are a certified marketing genius. Ford announced on May 2nd that it is granting EV enthusiasts both wishes. The company had previously stopped accepting orders for the Mustang Mach-E until it could fill more of its existing orders. Now it says it is ready to open the order books once again, beginning Wednesday, May 3.

The company says it has completed the upgrades at its factory in Cuautitlán, Mexico, that will allow it to increase production to 270,000 vehicles a year, beginning in the second half of this year. Going forward, the Mustang Mach-E will feature increased range for models with the standard battery to an EPA estimated 250 miles for rear-wheel drive and 226 miles for dual motor all-wheel drive cars.

The production increase for Mustang Mach-E is part of Ford’s plan to scale electric vehicles and make them more accessible and affordable for customers. “We continue to find ways to improve the value of the Mustang Mach-E. Upgraded BlueCruise rolling out for new and existing Mustang Mach-E owners, increased range and faster DC charging times on standard range models show how we are relentlessly improving our products for our customers,” said Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer Ford Model e, in a press release.

The Mach-E is not just for North American customers. It is sold in 37 countries, including Venezuela, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. In fact, during a recent trip to Spain, we noticed billboards advertising the car in Barcelona and again in the Canary Islands. Who would have guessed you could buy a Mustang Mach-E in Tenerife? My colleague David Waterworth says the Australian and New  Zealand versions of the Mach-E may be sourced from Ford production facilities in China. That would alleviate the supply bottleneck limiting sales in the USA. Chang’an Ford in Chongqing, China has been producing the Mach-E since October 2021.

For a head-to-head comparison of the Mustang Mach-E and the Tesla Model Y, check out the discussion between Zachary Shahan and Jo Borras that we published last October.

LFP Batteries For Standard Mustang Mach-E

All standard range models of the Mustang Mach-E will now be powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries. This change allows the dual motor all-wheel drive configuration to gain an additional 45 horsepower with more range. Using LFP batteries means drivers can charge to 100% capacity more frequently using AC home charging. When on the road, DC fast charging to 80% battery capacity from 10% requires just 33 minutes — 5 minutes less than with prior versions of the standard range cars.

LFP batteries have several advantages compared to NMC batteries. For one, they don’t use nickel or cobalt, two raw materials that anti-EV fudsters are losing their minds over. In addition, they are less affected by cold temperatures, can charge faster, and tolerate being charged to 100% better. The range increases are minimal — between two and three miles — but any increase in range is welcome. Lastly, they tend to be less expensive, which may be part of the reason Ford has lowered prices across the board.

LFP batteries also can discharge faster, which is where the extra 45 ponies come from. Autoblog points out that torque is down by a negligible 1 lb-ft. Cars with the extended range battery will continue to use NMC cells.

Ford is taking a different approach to autonomous driving technology. Customers can now try BlueCruise, Ford’s system that enables hands-free driving on limited access highways, free for 90 days. If they like it, they can subscribe to it when the free trial ends. All Mustang Mach-E vehicles will be built with the necessary hardware for BlueCruise included.

People with sales experience will recognize this as the so-called “puppy dog close.” If you give people a puppy with the understanding that they don’t have to pay for it until later, almost all of them will decide to keep the puppy when the trial period expires. Mustang Mach-E customers will be able to try BlueCruise during the initial months of vehicle ownership and subsequently activate it through a subscription at a time of their choosing. Customers can still include a 3-year subscription as part of the vehicle purchase if they prefer.

Ford has built an in-house team dedicated to constantly improving BlueCruise — adding features and enhancing performance with a more natural driving feel. The new features of BlueCruise 1.2 include hands-free lane changes when requested by the driver tapping the turn signal. In-Lane Repositioning ability helps keep the vehicle in its lane while subtly shifting position away from vehicles in adjacent lanes — something that is especially helpful when next to bigger vehicles, such as tractor trailers.

BlueCruise is now active on 199,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles in North America. Ford has accumulated more than 70 million hands-free miles using the technology. Consumer Reports named BlueCruise its top rated Active Driving Assistance System. The subscription price for BlueCruise is $2,100, an increase of $200.

Updated Mustang Mach-E Pricing

Following the lead of that other electric vehicle company — let’s call it Brand T — Ford says it has lowered the sticker price of new Mustang Mach-E cars by $3,000 on select standard range models, and $1,000 on California Route 1 extended range cars. Premium standard range cars and the GT all-wheel drive extended range car are now priced $4,000 less than before. All Mustang Mach-E cars are eligible for a federal tax credit of $3,750, provided the buyers meet certain income requirements.

The new list prices are as follows:

• Select: $44,795
• Premium: $48,795
• California Route 1: $58,795
• GT: $61,795

The Takeaway

When Zachary and Jo had their debate, they pretty much scored the Mustang Mach-E and the Model Y as being even on points. They are both exceptionally good cars. The kicker is charging. The Tesla Supercharger network is a huge advantage that no other automaker can match — yet. It’s not for lack of trying, however. The federal government is putting billions of dollars behind expanding the charging infrastructure in America, and that should help considerably with the range anxiety that many people experience.

But Tesla’s Supercharger network is the gold standard. Not only is it extensive, it is reliable. The chargers work nearly every time, which is something that can’t be said about other networks. Lower prices and BlueCruise are welcome news. Now Ford and other manufacturers need to provided their electric car customers with reliable charging networks in order to remain competitive with Brand T.

Source: Clean Technica